Call to Action

The CBA’s Alliance for Women invites all Chicago law firms to
join its "Call to Action," a project to promote women's leadership in
the legal profession. This "Call to Action" recognizes that without a
focused effort from the leadership of law firms, the progress of women
into leadership positions in our profession will remain immaterial.
Major firms in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco have signed
similar pledges. It is time for Chicago to take this step forward!

Chicago’s firms as a whole fall below the
national average for percentage of female partners (as published by the
National Association for Law Placement). Yet, organizations with high
percentages of women in leadership financially outperform organizations
with low percentages. Chicago has some catching up to do!

The CBA’s Board of Managers approved the "Call
to Action" in November 2004. The Alliance for Women will be working to
expand this program to include others affected by these issues. Below
you will find the formal "Call to Action," best practices information,
and the firm signatory form.

The Chicago Bar Association and the signatories hereto remain committed
to fostering diversity in the legal profession. Without a focused effort
from the leaders of the Chicago legal community, the movement of women
into leadership positions will remain glacially slow and Chicago legal
organizations will continue to suffer financially. Women leaders are a
business imperative. Organizations with high percentages of women in
leadership roles financially outperform organizations with low
percentages. See "The Bottom Line: Connecting Corporate Performance and
Gender Diversity" Catalyst 2003.

The level of women associates entering Chicago law
firms has remained high for many years—averaging over 40% of all
associates over the last five years. The percentage of women partners
(both equity and non-equity) in Chicago law firms, however, has not made
the same meaningful progress. All but twelve of Chicago’s large
law firms fall below the average in regard to percent of female partners
(as published by the National Association for Law Placement). There is
clearly much room for improvement.

In furtherance of this Call to Action:

Each law firm signatory’s goal is to increase
the percent of its women partners by 3 percentage points from its 2004
levels by December 31, 2007.

Each law firm signatory’s goal is to have women
represented on every firm committee in the same proportion as the number
of women partners at the firm by December 31, 2007.

Each law firm signatory’s goal is to increase
the number of women practice group leaders at the firm by December 31,
2007.

Each law firm signatory agrees to review its flexible
hours policy and its use in order to ensure that alternative schedules
are an equitable and viable option by December 31, 2007.

Each law firm signatory agrees to materially improve
any disparity in the rates in which men and women are retained,
promoted, and laterally recruited at the firm by December 31,
2007.